The Toadstool Prince
by AmayaSora
Summary: We've all heard the story: you kiss a frog and he turns into a handsome prince. But what happens when your prince falls in love with someone else?


**Hello! This story has been floating around in my head for quite a while, but it was only recently that I was overcome with the **_**need **_**to write it.**

**I haven't written anything for this category yet, so I'm excited to get some new readers. I'd love to hear from you, so leave a review if you have the time. They keep me writing.**

**I'd like to thank vanna-banana for her help in editing this to get the version you see before you. Thank you, vanna!**

**-AmayaSora**

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My Toadstool Prince

I would have gladly traded anything, literally _anything_ to get out of these stupid interviews! I caught my tutor's eye and mouthed desperately, "Help me!" He smiled apologetically.

I quickly turned my attention back to the young man now speaking, Percival, Lord Petrine's son. And a complete idiot. "And the priest says, 'I said a turtle dove, not a turtle!'" And he burst into uproarious laughter at that, the world's stupidest joke.

I laughed prettily, meanwhile glaring daggers at the guy shaking with mirth. His eyes were closed; it's not like he was going to notice.

After another forty-five _torturous _minutes of this, Lord Petrine re-entered the chamber and announced that it was time for them to be leaving. Internally thanking God, I put on my best regretful face and assured Percival, "It was simply marvelous to meet you. I do hope you'll stay in touch." I curtseyed at his father, who nodded graciously before ushering his son away.

The instant they were out the door, I heaved a huge sigh of relief and slouched down in my chair, exhausted. "Goodness gracious, Gregor! I daresay he was the most-"

"_Priscilla!_" my tutor, Gregor, hissed, just as my father entered the room with a frown.

_Too late, _I thought and immediately straightened up. "Father! I trust your visit with Lord Petrine went pleasantly?"

His frown intensified. "Priscilla. Daughter. How many times must I remind you of your obligations? You are the daughter of a lord, and as such you are expected to marry well. You are already seventeen years old!"

"But, Father-"

"Do not interrupt!" he snapped sternly. "I have done everything I could have for you! Mr. Reninger is the best tutor this side of the lake. And, while we're on the topic, I do believe you have not been treating him with the respect he deserves! All of this _Gregor _business, so unbecoming of a lady of your stature!"

I averted my eyes. He had a point there. Although, if Gregor didn't mind, I didn't see why Father should… But I simply said a very humble, "Yes, Father. I pray your forgiveness, Father."

He waved my apology away impatiently. "Have I not been good to you, daughter? Have I not given you anything you have wanted? Have I not even allowed you to choose your own husband? Do you know how uncommon that is? Surely you must realize how very lucky you are to have me as your father."

"Yes, I am most blessed, Father." And I was.

"And yet you disgrace me, day after day, behaving rudely and childishly! You sit here and mock every one of the perfectly well-bred gentlemen I bring before you! Any girl in town would trade all she had to her name to even be considered by any of those men! And yet you toss all of their affections aside without a thought! Do you not care about your father's reputation? Do you not love me?"

"Father, of course I love you!" I cried, eyes watering with tears. How could he always do this to me? How? "And I am truly sorry, for acting in a way unbecoming of my blood. I realize that I have reflected badly on you. I shall strive to act in a way which pleases my father from this day onward."

He smiled sadly at me. "Dear Priscilla, I am afraid that I cannot believe you. No, as much as it pains me, I cannot take your word for it any longer. You see, you have said those exact words many times before, and what have you changed? Nothing. Not a single behavior! Which is why I am afraid I must put my foot down. I am telling you now, daughter, that you will be betrothed by week's end. You have met all the eligible princes in the area. If you have not selected one of them in three days' time, I shall choose for you. That seems reasonable, does it not?"

I was stunned. He expected me to pick one of those louts? And choose one in less than three days? I fought to keep my voice level. "My dearest Father, I most humbly request that you reconsider your position on this most important of matters! I-"

"This is exactly what I am talking about!" he said forcefully. "Have you ever seen a lady question her father? Her husband? Does your mother question my judgment? Never! You, Priscilla, _will _do as I say. And you _will _be happy about it. And that, daughter, is unarguable." He turned on his heel and stalked from the room.

"Priscilla, I'm sorry," Gregor said gently. "I truly am. But perhaps he's right; perhaps it is for the best."

"Perhaps it is," I said sourly, not believing a word of it. After a pause, I asked, "Oh, Gregor, what am I going to do?"

The next morning I felt the crushing weight of the deadline ever more strongly. I could not deal with my father civilly at the moment, so I opted to eat breakfast in my quarters. The servant who brought it in, Lucia, was one of the nicest, so she sat with me while I ate. That helped me to feel better.

That morning I had a lesson with Gregor. We covered a bit of history, and then snuck off as we usually did to the servant's section of the manor to teach the peasant children.

Gregor was teaching them their letters. I took over after a time to read them a story. I smiled happily down at them, completely at my ease. I loved children. I picked up the book and began to read. "Once upon a time, there was a fair princess. This princess was very lonely, so one day she headed out into the forest surrounding her home.

"She wandered happily through the forest, picking flowers and smiling at butterflies. After a time she grew tired and wanted to return home to her bed. But she realized, to her dismay, that she was lost and could not find her way back!

"She searched for a telltale way home, and eventually came to a small bog. Her legs were tired, so she sat down to rest on a log. As she rested, a green frog with four orange spots on its back hopped up and stared woefully up at her.

"This princess loved animals, so she picked up the little frog and put it on her lap. 'Little frog, you look so sad. Let me give you a kiss; that will surely cheer you up!' And so the princess did. She lifted the frog up and pressed her lips to its mouth. Suddenly, there was a puff of smoke and a handsome prince stood where the frog had once been!

"The prince and the princess fell in love at first sight, and they went on to live happily ever after. The End!"

All the children clapped. One cute little girl asked, "Miss Priscilla, did that really happen?"

"Well, Eliza, I'm not entirely sure. I suppose it _could _happen; I mean… anything's possible."

_Anything's possible…_ suddenly I was hit by a brilliant idea. "That's it, Gregor! I know what I'm going to do! I'm going to go make me a prince!"

Gregor looked astonished."Priscilla! Do you actually think that kissing a frog- a _frog, _of all creatures- will turn it into a prince?"

"It's worth a try, isn't it? Anything would be better than choosing one of those dolts Father found for me."

Gregor looked uneasy, but he still didn't have any real authority over me and couldn't do anything to stop me. "As you will, Miss," he said resignedly. "But, Miss, with all due respect, I do not wish to accompany you on your journey."

He was upset with me; I could tell by his reverting back to formalities. But, there was really nothing I could do. "That is perfectly all right, Gregor. I trust that you will have an enjoyable time while I am away." He nodded, and I smiled. "Good. And, Gregor, I would appreciate it if you didn't tell my father."

"Of course not, Miss," he said.

"Thank you," I said, and he bowed and excused himself. "Now," I said to myself (all the children had run off to do their chores). "I only need to find someone to go with me."

"I'll come." said a voice from the doorway. I jumped and whirled around to see a young man leaning against the doorframe, very casually. He was tall, with broad shoulders, brown hair, and a pleasant, open face. He was dressed in a modest green jerkin and tan breeches.

"And who might you be?" I said, glancing nervously around me. _Who is this guy? _I thought. But I kept my voice firm and commanding.

"I'm Seth." A look of alarm crossed his face and he immediately straightened his back and snapped to attention. "I must humbly ask for Milady Priscilla's forgiveness. I have forgotten myself. I am Sir Seth, loyal knight of your most esteemed father. I would be honored and privileged to accompany Milady Priscilla on her outing."

I felt sorry for the poor fellow. As a knight, he could be dismissed for a breach of etiquette like that. I smiled at him. "Sir Seth. I appreciate your offer, and graciously accept your proposal. I shall be ready to leave in ten minutes' time, and will meet you, sir knight, by this door here." A sudden thought occurred to me. "Sir Seth, you will not be punished by my father for accompanying me on an unauthorized journey?"

He smiled. "No, Milady. Your most esteemed father will not know of our absence."

"That is a great relief, Sir Seth," I said. "I shall return in ten minutes' time."

I hurried to my chambers and called Lucia to help me change into my favorite, fanciest red dress that brought out the auburn undertones in my hair nicely. The good thing about Lucia was that she didn't ask questions, so I was saved from any explanations as she did my hair in an angel's braid, her specialty. The only thing she said was, "You look exquisite, My Lady."

I nodded my thanks, grabbed my fanciest handkerchief, and made my way back down to the kitchen, where Seth still stood in the doorway. He was staring at me, awestruck, but blushed and averted his eyes when he noticed that I had discovered his staring. "Is Milady ready to commence her journey?"

"Yes, Sir Seth, I would like very much to set off at once."

He took my hand and helped me down the steps leading to the garden. I caught him blushing again, and he quickly took his hand out of mine. Seth put his fingers to his lips and whistled shrilly.

"What was that fo-" I began, but then I noticed the beautiful chestnut steed galloping toward us. It reached us and slowed to a stop right next to Seth. It was in full riding tack and even had a special two-person saddle. "Wow! That was incredible!" I said, overcome by excitement.

"Thanks," he said, patting the horse fondly. "Arion is one special horse. Did you know that he can-" He remembered himself again and blushed. "Milady must forgive me. I shall strive my hardest to remember my place in her presence. Does Milady require some assistance in getting to her place on the horse?"

"Yes, with my gratitude, Sir Knight," I said, and he grasped my waist gently yet firmly and lifted me up onto the horse. He circled to the other side of the horse and climbed up gracefully next to me.

We rode in silence for a while before I remembered that I had never told him where I wanted to go. "Ah, Sir Seth, I have neglected to tell you where I wished to be taken."

Seth looked embarrassed. "Begging your pardon, Milady, but I had by chance stumbled upon you while you were reading to the children. And so, if I may, suggest a suitable place in which to search for your frog?"

I guessed he was ashamed of having eavesdropped on me. "I would gladly accept your advice, Sir Seth. A knight such as yourself would have a… Oh, darn it all! I actually didn't have any idea where I was going, so it's good that you know your way around so well." I smiled sheepishly, realizing too late that I had again reverted to the informal tone. It was one thing to speak that way with Gregor, but I'd only just met this man, a knight bound by the code of chivalry. "I apologize, Sir Knight, but I find the formalities a bit tedious at times. If my informal tone offends you, please do not hesitate to inform me."

He looked back at me. "Nah, it's alright. I've always hated all that prim and proper speech, anyway. I'm okay with informality if you are."

"Of course. Thank you, Sir Seth."

"Just Seth is fine."

"Oh." I should have figured as much. I felt strangely embarrassed. "Ah, well, then, Seth, I believe you were telling me about this fine horse we're riding."

I patted it.

"Oh, yes!" His face lit up. "Arion here is a twelfth-generation purebred. He has one of the best pedigrees of all the horses in the kingdom! His father was…"

And so he continued. It was actually quite fascinating. Seth seemed exceedingly proud of all he knew about horses. Our ride was turning into quite a long one, so talk eventually turned to our childhoods, then hobbies, likes, dislikes, and other topics friends discussed with each other. I found out that he was only a few months older than me, and that we both liked reading, history, and tons of other things. And I really did consider Seth my friend by the time we stopped in a small glade for Arion to get a drink and a rest.

He gallantly spread his coat on the ground for me to sit on, so I didn't get my dress dirty. I had just explained to him that it was my favorite. He sat down on the grass next to me. "This is such a beautiful place," he commented.

"Yes," I agreed wholeheartedly, because it was. Butterflies flitted about from one colorful flower to another. I heard birds singing in the forest around us, and tilted my head back to look at the white, puffy clouds floating above me. I reached out and grabbed a nearby daisy, weaving it into my braided hair.

"What do you think? Too much?" I asked tilting my head toward him so he could see my embellishment.

"N-no, it looks great. I mean, that is to say, it is most, ah-"

I smiled. "Really?" He nodded, and wordlessly handed me another daisy. I accepted and wove that one in as well. "You know, I could make a crown of sorts out of these." I said, looking around for more.

"Please, allow me," Seth said, getting up and bowing in an-over-the-top grandiose way. I laughed. He ambled around the meadow, plucking daisies as he went. I noticed that his hair shone golden, like gold itself, when he was in the sun. How could his definitely brown hair shine gold? It was beautiful, actually. I must have been staring, because he gave me a rather odd look when returned with a bouquet of daisies.

"Thank you," I said, placing them on the ground. We sat in silence for a time as I wove those, too, into my braid. When I was done I did indeed have a full crown of flowers. I leaned back on my elbows, watching the birds flit about the trees surrounding us.

"There's a spot like this on the manor," Seth said suddenly. "Not quite as breathtaking, but there's a huge willow tree, a weeping willow. And almost no one goes there because it's on the other side of the river from the mill."

I could picture the sheer, perfect tranquility of it. "It sounds wonderful. It's amazing that I've lived at the manor my whole life and never even seen half it."

He shrugged. "Not really, if you think about how you father's so-" He stopped and flushed from embarrassment. "I mean, um, well-"

I smiled. "It's okay, I don't mind. I'm actually still angry at Father for this whole business with the engagement. You cannot choose a husband in two days, you just can't! And all those men are so incredibly _boring!_ Most of them are ugly, too, but that wouldn't really matter, as long as they could keep up a conversation, like you're doing. They're all idiots! Total idiots! And… I'm sorry! This must be terribly boring for you." I finished sheepishly.

He smiled. It was a rather nice smile, now that I thought about it, and I felt myself smile back, though not through conscious thought. "It's alright. I don't mind. It's actually sort of a relief to hear you say that beca-" He stopped mid-sentence and stood up hurriedly. "Um, we- we should probably get going. You never know when your father might start wondering where you are." He offered me his hand, which I took, and he pulled me up.

We walked over to Arion and Seth helped me back onto the saddle. It was only when I was already there that I realized we hadn't let go of each other's hands until that moment. I blushed and decided to hurry this along as much as possible. That kind of behavior would certainly be considered "unbecoming" by my father.

Seth climbed up in front of me and I asked, "How much longer do you think we'll be?"

"Not much longer," he said, and gave Arion a little kick to speed him up. This forced me to lean forward against his back, which I didn't think was a particularly good situation.

"I was just asking; there's no need to rush," I said, than added hastily, "Thank you, though."

He slowed down and said, "No problem," but after that we didn't talk very much. It was unbelievably awkward, so when he announced, "The bog's just beyond those trees," I immediately jumped down and assured him that I was fine walking the rest of the way.

That turned out to be a slight exaggeration, as I stumbled a couple times trying to make my way through the undergrowth. But I arrived at the bog in one piece and began to look around for a log to sit on. I was trying to follow the story to the "T."

But I couldn't find a log, so I settled for a stump and sat down to wait. And wait. And wait some more. I eventually got tired of waiting and had just stood up to go back to Seth when a frog popped out of the bushes. I looked hopefully down at it, and saw to my amazement that it did have four orange spots. Beaming, I scooped it up and kissed it.

There was a loud _poof _and a puff of smoke. I took out my handkerchief, intending to fan the air to clear it, but only succeeded in dropping it. I was looking around for it when I heard a lovely, melodic, male voice say, "Excuse me, fair maiden, but I believe you have dropped this."

Out of the smoke stepped the most handsome man I had ever seen. He was very tall, and very muscular, with windswept blonde hair and the most amazing sapphire eyes. He was dressed in a classy navy blue outfit and held a rose in one hand and my handkerchief in the other. I blushed. "Thank you, good sir," I curtseyed and accepted the tokens.

"Ah, your movements are as graceful as a swimming swan!" he proclaimed, and bowed deeply. When he looked up he was smiling, all of his brilliant white teeth sparkling "My name is Prince Salem. And who is this picture of beauty I have the greatest honor of meeting?"

"I am Priscilla, daughter of Lord Hegbert."

"Fair Priscilla, I truly am honored to meet you," Salem said, and kissed my hand. I swooned. A look of alarm crossed his face. It was a very expressive face. "What's this? Does my fair lady Priscilla require assistance?"

"No, no, I thank thee kindly, Prince Salem, but I shall be perfectly fine."

"But the swamp is no place for a lady! Come; let us depart from this dreadful area!" He stepped forward, bent down, and lifted me into his arms.

He carried me through the forest, not tripping once, I noticed delightedly. When we emerged I saw Seth leaning against a tree. He saw us, scowled, and walked over to me. "Milady Priscilla, are you okay?"

"_My _beautiful Lady Priscilla is doing wonderful," Salem sniffed. "But thank you for your concern, however unwarranted, Knight."

"Ah, yes, this is Sir Seth, a knight in the service of my esteemed father." I said, noticing that Salem still hadn't put me down. "Sir Seth, this is Prince -"

"I am Prince Salem de Layfette of the Fresdian kingdom," he said, cutting across me, and tilting his head up in a rather superior manner.

"Pleasure," Seth said stiffly. "Priscilla, oughtn't we to be heading back? Your father is probably truly worried about you."

"Your father does not know where you have gone off to? In that case we must go at once! Your father must be worried sick, having such a delicate flower as yourself missing." He placed me on Arion's saddle and kissed my hand again. I blushed, but noticed Seth look pointedly away. He made to get up on the front of the saddle, but Salem sent him a scorching look and he backed off, glaring. Salem then mounted in front of me.

The ride seemed much shorter this time around. Seth was walking along behind Salem and I, although quite a ways back. My prince and I didn't talk much, simply enjoyed being near each other. Eventually Salem said, "That knight- Seth, you called him?" I nodded. "He is under the employment of your father?"

"Yes. My father has many knights under his command, and-"

"Does he usually permit his employees to behave in such a… unchivalrious manner?"

"No, Sir Seth is just-"

"So, we should inform your esteemed father of his behavior at once. I highly doubt he would tolerate that sort of faux pas from one of his knights."

That was not going to happen. Seth was my friend, and if he got fired it would be my fault. And why did Salem keep cutting me off mid-sentence? "I gave my permission for Sir Seth to speak in this way. If anyone is to be blamed it is me, Prince Salem," I said boldly.

"My dear Priscilla, it's quite alright. It's obvious that you were intimidated by him and so were willing to do whatever he said."

"No, that's not what happened at all!" I protested.

Salem turned around and stared into my eyes. "You really are beautiful, Priscilla," he said. "I'd hate to think of anyone taking advantage of that fact."

His eyes really were stunning. Such a deep blue… "Thank you," I murmured. He smiled, I smiled back, all misgivings forgotten, and we went the rest of the way in silence.

Father was suitably impressed by Prince Salem. He couldn't stop praising my good tastes, and wouldn't let Salem out of his sight for a minute. The whole manor was buzzing with activity preparing for the wedding. Female servants kept appearing at unexpected places to stare at Salem. It bothered me a bit, but he seemed to enjoy it. And he was so gorgeous; his eyes shined so brightly when he was happy, so I let it go.

Guests were pouring in (which lead me to believe Father had announced my marriage yesterday, when he had first ordered me to choose) from all over, and I was needed here, there, and everywhere. I caught glimpses of Seth on the outskirts of the preparations. I tried to catch his eye, but he wouldn't even look at me.

I spent an hour in the garden with Prince Salem that night. We didn't really talk or anything, he just told me he loved me and that I was beautiful. And we stared into each other's eyes.

The next day I got to try on my wedding dress. It was made of a brilliant white silk fabric; very extravagant, with a long train. The veil made me look frumpy, not particularly beautiful, so I demanded they get a new one. Salem wouldn't like this one.

Later on, I changed into a frilly pink dress that brought out my brown eyes, and spent hours in my room making sure Lucia did my hair exactly right. I really wanted to make Salem proud. Lunch that day was a huge banquet with all of the guests. Salem and I mingled with the crowd, parading past everyone to make sure they realized how happy we were.

I didn't see Prince Salem again until supper, but it was okay, because I could still see his brilliant sapphire eyes whenever I closed mine. Seth, Lucia, Father, and everyone else was completely forgotten.

We went for a walk in the garden after we ate. The sun was just setting, making the sky look like a stained glass window of pinks, oranges, and purples. It was so romantic and beautiful. And in the midst of it all was my perfect prince. Salem walked with such complete, utter confidence you could tell he was a prince from a mile off.

"I'm so excited for our wedding tomorrow," I said happily, hugging his arm. "Aren't you?"

"About that," he said, and turned to face me. Such beautiful eyes… "Do you know Melissa, daughter of Lord Gretay?"

"Yes. I used to play with her when I-"

"Yes, yes, that's great." He waved a hand dismissively. "Well, I met her, and she's simply _divine._"

'Divine?' He'd never called _me_ divine before. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I'm leaving. Melissa's father has graciously agreed to allow me to marry her."

"But, but, what about me? What about us?"

"You father was perfectly fine with us splitting up, especially considering the gigantic sum Lord Gretay paid out for 'the inconvenience'. And, I do thank you very much for rescuing me from my frog body. But, let's face it, you're no Melissa."

And with that he turned and walked away, walked out of my life forever. I stood, dumbfounded, for several minutes, not believing it. He was joking with me, playing a friendly wedding prank. Always so funny… he would come back any second now…

Gradually it became apparent that he _wouldn't _be returning. Tears poured from my eyes and I ran blindly, not knowing where I was going to go. But I didn't care. What was I without Salem? Who was I without my prince?

I eventually collapsed under a tree, sobbing uncontrollably. After what seemed like hours I heard a voice behind me say gently, "Priscilla."

"Go away!!" I yelled viciously between sobs. But the person didn't leave, rather took a few steps closer. I jerked my head up and saw through my sobs Seth standing there, staring down at me with sorrow reflected in his eyes, eyes that were hazel, not at all like the deep sapphire blue of my love's…

"You!!" I yelled, overcome by sudden anger. "This is all your fault!! Salem wanted to fire you; said you were no good!! But I wouldn't let him, and now he's left me!! This is your fault!! I hate you!! I HATE YOU!!" I had gotten up and was attempting to hit him, but he held my fists in his hands.

"Priscilla, it's alright. You're better off without him, honestly. He was a pompous brat. You could do much better."

"Liar! You take that back! You don't even know him! You have no idea, no idea!! You have no idea what he's like!! You have no idea how great he is!! How perfect he is!! You, you don't know _anything_!!"

Seth was staring at me curiously. Slowly, he let go of my fists and brought his hands to my face. "Don't touch me!!" I yelled, but it was too late; he pulled me into a kiss.

It was as if ice cold water had been thrown over my sleeping head, and I had been jerked awake. I saw that we were under the weeping willow tree Seth had mentioned the previous day, and that I was a _mess. _My dress was covered in dirt and mud, and torn beyond repair. I had lost my shoes somewhere along the way, and my bare feet were bruised and possibly bleeding. My hair was a tangled mess of twigs and mud.

But I didn't care anymore. I didn't care about being the most beautiful girl in the world anymore. I only cared about being myself. And I didn't care about Salem anymore, either. His hair was like straw, so dry and brittle, and not at all golden, I could now tell. And his confidence was actually arrogance. And the sapphire eyes, when I tried to picture them, seemed only muddy grey.

I took a shaky breath, reaching around to steady myself, because I felt like I would fall. Seth was right there, and he grabbed my waist and gently helped me lower myself to the ground. "Are you alright?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"I think so. But, what happened? Why do I feel so… odd? I don't understand it at all!" I shook my head, but that even simple movement made me feel faint.

"Easy," said Seth, holding me in a sitting position. "It'll probably take a while for the dizziness to pass."

"But, why am I dizzy?"

Seth grimaced. "That blasted Prince whatever his name is. He put a spell on you, Priscilla. It was his eyes; I could see that whenever you looked into his eyes, yours would get all vacant and glassy. And it changed you; I don't know if you realized it, but you haven't been yourself since you found him."

I _did _realize it now. What had I been thinking? But it was clear that I _hadn't_ been thinking. "He did change me, Seth. But- but, how did you know that? You'd only known me for one day; how were you able to know that I wasn't acting like myself?"

"Ah, well, I just _knew _you'd never act so... well, vain. We talked for a good three hours yesterday, remember, and you were so completely approachable and friendly. It was just really natural talking to you, and…" he was blushing, but managed a small smile anyway.

I smiled back, a true smile, not at all like the perfunctory smiles I usually gave servants. But then, Seth was hardly just a servant. "Seth, if you don't mind, I have question for you."

"Of course."

"How did you know that it would work?" I blushed a bit, too. "Kissing me, I mean."

He shrugged. "I didn't actually. It was just a hunch, because all the spells I've ever heard of are broken by a kiss. But I'm very glad that it did work, or else I'd be on my way to jail right now." He laughed a nice, musical laugh.

I grinned shyly. "Actually, Seth, I think most spells are broken by _true love's _kiss."

He blushed some more, but his eyes lit up. "Do you really mean that?"

I nodded fervently. "Yes, of course I do," I grinned mischievously. "Sir Seth."

"Milady Priscilla has made me the happiest man in all of the world," he said in the same tone. "I have loved you since the first time I laid eyes on you."

I was on the verge of crying again, this time from happiness. "Oh, Seth!" I cried, and hugged him. I pulled away quickly, blushing profusely. "I- I'm sorry. I'm a mess, aren't I?"

"You're beautiful," he said, and our eyes met.

"R- really?" I asked.

"No. You're gorgeous." And I could tell from his eyes that he meant it.

And then the tears fell. I stared around at the idyllic scene around me; the graceful branches of the weeping willow arcing down into the water, fireflies dancing across the sky, brilliant silver moon shining from overhead. I leaned towards Seth and kissed him, wrapping my arms around his neck as he put his around my waist.

We pulled apart, still in each other's arms. His hair glowed golden even in moonlight, I noticed. I stared into his hazel eyes, and whispered; "Now _that, _is real magic."

And we lived happily ever after, completely in love. Because, why did I need a toadstool prince, when I had my knight in shining armor?


End file.
